Persian lentil soup
Until recently, I had never even heard of Persian lentil soup.
But when my girlfriend prepared a batch and left it on my doorstep a few months ago, I inhaled the entire thing in 24 hours.
And immediately I was jonesing for more.
Like good girlfriends do, she shared the ingredients with me and off I went trying to create something just like it.
I experimented with batch after batch on a weekly basis, putting my own spin on it where I could.
I didn’t want to stray too far from the original version. I was only looking to make it a little more digestible (less onion, garlic, etc. ) and more veg-filled, cause that’s what we do around here!
So this is my inspired take on her insanely delicious traditional Persian lentil soup.
It is the perfect one-pot meal, made with simple good-for-you ingredients. It’s high in both fiber and protein and loaded with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting benefits.
Before you set off to make it (and I really hope you do), here are some notes worth sharing to help you maximize the flavor and health potential here…
Don’t omit the dried lemons! They add a very distinct flavor and can easily be found in speciality markets featuring traditional middle eastern ingredients or even online. If you absolutely cannot find them, a big squeeze of fresh lemon at the end still gets the job done.
Reduce the onions and garlic to make it more digestible. I used just half an onion and one garlic clove for the entire batch. However, if you don’t suffer from any digestive woes, go ahead and use a full onion and a few cloves of garlic - both of which have great immune boosting benefits and add a ton of flavor.
Garnishes go a long way! Not completely necessary but a spoonful of coconut yogurt and fresh chives, scallions, mint or dill (or all!) with a sprinkle of pink salt and Aleppo pepper per serving compliments this soup beautifully.
It gets better with time. It’s delicious right out of the pot, but like most soups and stews, the flavor deepens after it sits for hours or even days.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Persian Lentil Soup
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup brown lentils
1/2 cup of white basmati rice
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
Pinches of salt, divided
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 cups of water
4 dried lemons
Handful of fresh greens of your choice
Scoop of coconut yogurt, for serving (optional)
Fresh chives or dill or mint (or all) and a pinch of salt and Aleppo pepper (optional)
Directions
Place large pot or dutch oven on stove, over medium heat. Add oil, then onion, garlic, carrots and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir occasionally until fragrant and vegetables have softened but do not let the onions and garlic brown (about 5-7 minutes).
Mix in legumes, grains and spices. Stir in lentils, rice, cumin, turmeric, black pepper and another pinch of salt. Mix until everything is well combined.
Add water. Next, add in water and bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.
Pierce dried lemons. Before adding to the pot, take a sharp knife and carefully pierce the lemons carefully in a few different spots and then add to the pot.
Cover and cook. Once the soup has been brought to a boil and reduced to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 45 minutes until grains are soft and vegetables are tender.
Add greens. After 45 minutes, fold in a handful of greens of your choice and let them wilt.
Serve and enjoy. Transfer to individual bowls and enjoy soup on it’s own or with a scoop of coconut yogurt and fresh herbs.
Add water to reheat. The grains and legumes absorb much of the liquid after a few hours, so when you go to reheat the soup add a bit of water to the pot to get that soupy feel back.
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